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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
RUSTICIEN DE PISE
63
analogy between these two prefaces. And it must be re-
marked that the formula is not an ordinary one with translators,
compilers, or authors of the 13th and 14th centuries. Perhaps
you would not find a single other example of it."
This seems to place beyond question the identity of the
Romance-compiler of Prince Edward's suite in 1270, and the
Prisoner of Genoa in 1298.
42. In Dunlop's History of Fiction a passage is quoted from
the preamble of Meliadus, as set forth in the Paris printed
edition of 1528, which gives us to understand that Further par.
Rusticien de Pise had received as a reward for some of ticulars
concerning
his compositions from King Henry III. the prodigal Rustician.
gift of two chateaus. I gather, however, from passages in the
work of Paulin Paris that this must certainly be one of those
confusions of persons to which I have referred before, and that
the recipient of the chateaux was in reality Helye de Borron,
the author of some of the originals which Rustician mani-
pulated.t This supposed incident in Rustician's scanty history
must therefore be given up.
We call this worthy Rustician or Rusticiano, as the nearest
probable representation in Italian form of the Rusticien of the
Round-Table MSS. and the Rustacians of the old text of Polo.
But it is highly probable that his real name was Rustichello, as
is suggested by the form Rustichelus in the early Latin version
published by the Société de Géog raphie. The change of one
liquid for another never goes for much in Italy,¢ and Rustichello
might easily Gallicize himself as Rusticien. In a very long list
of Pisan officials during the Middle Ages I find several bearing
the name of Rustichello or Rustichelli, but no Rusticiano or
Rustigiano.
Respecting him we have only to add that the peace
between Genoa and Venice was speedily followed by a
treaty between Genoa and Pisa. On the 31st July, 1299, a
truce for twenty-five years was signed between those two
* Jour. As. as above.
t See Liebrecht's Dunlop, p. 77 ; and KISS. François, II. 349, 353. The
alleged gift to Rustician is also put forth by D'Israeli the Elder in his Amenities of
Literature, 1841, I. p. 103.
$ E.g. Geronimo, Girolamo ; and garofalo, garofano ; Cristoforo, Cristovalo ;
gonfalone, s onfanone, etc.
§ See the List in Archivio Stor. Ital. VI. p. 64, segg.
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